China Outer Space Science, Technology and Explorations: News & Updates

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NEWS RELEASE 18-JUL-2019
China's plans to solve the mysteries of the moon
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS

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China, in collaboration with several countries, is now at the forefront of lunar exploration. In an article published on July 18 in Science, researchers laid out what the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) has accomplished since their launch in 2007 and their plans into the next three decades.
CREDIT: NAOC/CNSA

Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, the world watched as Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. Since then, space agencies around the globe have sent rovers to Mars, probes to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and beyond, yet humanity's curiosity and fascination with the Moon has never abated.

China, in collaboration with several countries, is now at the forefront of lunar exploration. In an article published on July 18 in Science, researchers laid out what the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) has accomplished since their launch in 2007 and their plans into the next three decades.

"Fifty years after Neil Armstrong took, 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' as the first human to set foot on the Moon, China's CE-4 lander and Yutu 2 rover left the footprints of humanity's first robotic visit to the surface of the far side of the Moon," said LI Chunlai, article author and the Deputy Director-General of National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academies of Science (NAOC).

The exploration of the far side of the Moon led to the unexpected discovery of possible lunar mantle material on the surface - a potential indicator of the severity of asteroid impacts in the early days of the Moon. The Chinese missions also led to the highest resolution global image and topographic data of the Moon to date.

"CLEP has brought Chinese lunar science to a great stage of development," LI said, noting the program has pushed technology forward with regard to lunar remote sensing, lunar geomorphology and lunar geology.

CLEP's next mission is set to launch in early 2020. Dubbed Chang'E 5 for the Chinese moon goddess, the goal of this mission is to collect lunar rock and soil that will be sent to Earth in a sample-return vehicle. It'll be the first sample-return mission of any country since 1976. This technological advancement - bringing samples to Earth - signals the third phase of CLEP.

LI and his team hope these developments will eventually translate to great strides in scientific application through a Lunar Scientific Research Station. The plan is to have the station in place by 2030 to carry out technical verification and scientific validation of various experiments, with the ultimate goal of hosting astronauts for long-term stays on the Moon.

First, though, there's work to be done. CLEP's planned lunar exploration and scientific studies would be significantly limited by current technology, according to LI. While China has made remarkable progress through CLEP, international collaboration is critical for the next phase of lunar exploration.

"The Moon belongs to all of us. Just as the Apollo program played a positive role in promoting the development of human society, China will work with countries around the world in its forward-looking lunar and deep space exploration projects," LI said. "We hope to cooperate with other countries in the exploration, research and utilization of the Moon to jointly create a better future for humanity through achievements in space science and technology."


China's plans to solve the mysteries of the moon | EurekAlert! Science News

Chunlai Li, Chi Wang, Yong Wei, Yangting Lin. China’s present and future lunar exploration program. Science (2019). DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9908​

 

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China's Tiangong-2 space lab to re-enter atmosphere under control
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-13 10:16:31|Editor: Xiang Bo

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Tiangong-2 space lab is planned to be controlled to leave orbit and re-enter the atmosphere on July 19 (Beijing time), China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced on Saturday.

Most of the spacecraft will be burnt up in the atmosphere, and a small amount of debris is expected to fall in the safe sea area in the South Pacific (160-90 degrees west longitude and 30-45 degrees south latitude), according to CMSEO.

Tiangong-2, an improved version of Tiangong-1, is China's first space lab in real sense. Launched on September 15, 2016, the space lab has worked in orbit over 1,000 days, much longer than its 2-year designed life.

Comprising an experiment module and a resource module, the space lab has a total length of 10.4 meters, a largest diameter of 3.35 meters and a takeoff weight of 8.6 tonnes. After its solar panels are unfolded, its wingspan is about 18.4 meters wide. It has functions of rendezvous and docking with the Shenzhou manned spaceship and the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft.

China has carried out a series of scientific and technological space experiments, and tested the in-orbit propellant refueling technology on Tiangong-2.

All the experiments in the space lab have been completed. The spacecraft and the instruments on it are functioning well, said CMSEO.

Preparations for the controlled re-entry into atmosphere of Tiangong-2 are proceeding steadily as planned. China will timely report the information about the spacecraft after it re-enters the atmosphere to fulfill its international obligations, said CMSEO.

China's space lab Tiangong-2 reenters atmosphere under control
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-19 21:41:09|Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China's space lab Tiangong-2 reentered the earth's atmosphere under control at around 9:06 p.m. on Friday (Beijing time), China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

A small amount of the spacecraft's debris fell into the predetermined safe sea area in the South Pacific, according to the agency.

Tiangong-2's controlled reentry into the atmosphere marks the successful completion of all the tasks in the space lab phase in China's manned space program, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program.

Efforts are being made to step up preparations for constructing China's space station, CMSA said.

Tiangong-2, an improved version of Tiangong-1, is considered China's first space lab. Launched on September 15, 2016, the space lab has worked in orbit over 1,000 days, much longer than its 2-year designed lifespan.

Comprising an experiment module and a resource module, the space lab has a total length of 10.4 meters, a maximum diameter of 3.35 meters and a takeoff weight of 8.6 tonnes. After its solar panels are unfolded, its wingspan reaches 18.4 meters.

Tiangong-2 has docked with the Shenzhou-11 manned spaceship and Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft. Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong stayed for a period of 30 days in the space lab.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1152213643863498753

https://twitter.com/x/status/1152218648905281537

 

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Earth's largest radio telescope identifies 86 pulsars
By Cao Zinan | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-07-22 14:03

[Photo/CCTV]

Three years into operation, the world's largest radio telescope, FAST, has identified 86 pulsars as of July 19.

China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, or FAST, is still in its commissioning phase. But it has already partially achieved its scientific goal of conducting astronomical observations on the ground as a practical telescope.

FAST has now achieved tracking, in-motion scanning and other astronomical observation modes, with several key results exceeding expectations.

Chinese scientists discovered multiple pulsars using the FAST telescope for the first time on Oct 10, 2017, only after one year's operational trial.

Located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in Southwest China's Guizhou province, FAST has a receiving dish area equivalent to about 30 football fields.

FAST's key tasks include observation of pulsars as well as exploration of interstellar molecules and interstellar communication signals.

According to Zhang Pei, scientist with the National Astronomical Observatories of China, pulsars with high density and energy are irreplaceable "celestial laboratories" and could be used to replace navigational satellites to locate spacecraft.

British astronomers Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish discovered the first pulsar on Nov 28, 1967. Scientists have since identified more than 2,000 pulsars.

Pulsar observation is very important as it can be used to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes, and help solve many other major questions in physics.

"FAST has huge scientific potential and it may detect unprecedented signals during searches for pulsars, which will help us in further studies in astrophysics and basic physics," Zhang said.

"FAST detected one of the faintest millisecond pulsars ever recorded in February 2018, which was unable to be seen by many other country's telescopes. This shows us its advantage in sensitivity," said Li Di, chief scientist of the FAST project.

 

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China, Russia, Europe to jointly explore plan for research station on Moon
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-22 18:30:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

GUANGZHOU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Space authorities of China, Europe and Russia have agreed to jointly explore the plan to build a scientific research station on the Moon, a senior Chinese space official said Monday.

The joint exploration will focus on the scientific objectives of the station, as well as system-related or mission-based discussions, said Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Participants will jointly plan and design the station, coordinate their implementation of the plan and ultimately share the scientific results, Wu said at an international conference on the exploration of the Moon and the deep space that opened Monday in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the CNSA, said the construction plan for the station is expected to be completed after two to three years of deliberations by an international team of scientists.

An intergovernmental coordination committee on the lunar research station will be established, according to Pei.

Wu Weiren, a chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, said China will use the fourth phase of the program as well as its following missions to assess the viability of working on the Moon for a long period of time.

China, Russia and Europe have all put forward or showed inclinations for the idea of building a scientific base on the Moon.

 

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Not difficult to send Chinese onto the moon: lunar probe chief designer
By Deng Xiaoci in Zhuhai Source:Global Times Published: 2019/7/22 18:28:40

Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar probe program. Photo: Deng Xiaoci/GT

Chinese scientists are conducting scientific feasibility studies on sending the country's astronauts to the moon, China's lunar probe program chief designer Wu Weiren told the Global Times on Monday.

"Sending Chinese people to the moon won't be too much of a problem," Wu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a press conference ahead of the 4th International Conference on Lunar and Deep Space Exploration held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, on Monday.

Wu declined to reveal a detailed schedule for a manned mission to the moon.

The conference is jointly sponsored by China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and organized by CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center and CAS General Office and Lunar and Deep Space Exploration.

At the press conference, Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center with the CNSA, who is also the deputy chief designer of the country's third-phase mission of lunar exploration program, said that "China's future lunar exploration, including Chang'e-6 and those following it, will be determined by the country's own technology capability and overall economic strength."

"China will not race against other countries, but will follow its own schedule," Pei said answering the Global Times inquiry how the acceleration of the US plan to return people to the moon could impact China's lunar exploration schedule.

US Vice President Mike Pence made a statement in March saying that NASA was directed to return American astronauts to the lunar surface within the next five years "by any means necessary."

The sudden acceleration of the US returning to the moon showed that the US side was feeling the pressure posed by Chinese space advancements in moon exploration, Chinese analysts concluded.

Another reason should be the moon's position as a strategic bridgehead for future deeper space exploration, according to experts.

China still has unmanned Chang'e-5, -6, -7, -8 missions coming up until 2030, Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the CNSA said in January.

Chang'e-5 will return samples from the moon in a mission scheduled around 2020, Wu told the Global Times.

He also said that Chang'e-6 will conduct a similar mission, but with samples from the south pole of the moon.

Whether the Chang'e-6 probe will also land on the far side will depend on the Chang'e-5 sample.

Chang'e-7 will comprehensively explore the moon, whereas Chang'e-8 will explore the possibility of building an international lunar research base, the CNSA deputy head said.

Chang'e-8 will test 3D printer technology in hopes of assisting future lunar residents.

"The landing location and research goals for Chang'e-6 will be later determined, after taking the performance of Chang'e-5 into consideration," Pei said on Monday.

 

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LANDSPACE SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED THE FULL SYSTEM HOT FIRING FOR“TQ-12”, THE FIRST 80T-THRUST-LEVEL L
LANDSPACE 2019-05-18

The full system hot firing for “TQ-12”, the first 80t-thrust-level LOX+LCH4 LRE in China, was successfully conducted in Huzhou Intelligent Manufacturing Factory of LandSpace. “TQ-12”, as the world’s third model of LOX+LCH4 LRE, is developed independently by LandSpace.

“TQ-12” engine has been carried out four times hot firing test runs in this week, with the longest run-time about 20 seconds. The stable and rapid initial start and shutting down of the engine, along with relative appropriate parameters in test run period, manifests that the performance of the engine meets the qualifications.

As the highest thrust level of bipropellant cryogenic LRE in China, the highlights of "TQ-12” rocket engine includes non-toxic, high-reliability, high-performance, low-cost, easy-operation and reusability, which is the evolution direction of the main rocket engine. The success of the test run demonstrates that Chinese private launch vehicle company, LandSpace has owned all of key technologies for the development of 100t thrust level LRE.

“TQ-12” engine is designed with a sea level thrust of 67t and a sea level vacuum thrust of 76t as well as vacuum thrust 80t. The General Manager of LandSpace’s propulsion system department Ge Minghe stated that this engine’s thrust level could cover the single propulsion system of small launch vehicles up to middle launch vehicles and even to heavy launch vehicles. Those features decided its giant commercial prospects.

“TQ-12 “ has completed several critical tests, including gas generator test run, thrust chamber with short nozzle configuration test run, power-pack test since the development of “TQ-12” engine in 2017. The full system hot firing for TQ-12 was successfully conducted, marking the significant breakthrough for China private launch vehicle company on the high thrust level LRE, successfully verifying closed-loop of design, R&D, manufacturing, production, assembly and test process of high thrust level LRE.

LandSpace publicly released its technological roadmap of the ‘80t+10t’ Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Methane rocket propulsion system in July of 2018. “ZQ-12” 80t engine will be used in the first and second stage of ZQ-2 launcher and 10t engine in the third stage of ZQ series liquid propellant launch vehicles. This roadmap covers the full liquid methane launch vehicle family, such as rockets from small to large and even to heavy rockets by parallel combination of two types of engines. The successful run test of full system hot firing for TQ-12 demonstrates the comprehensive mastery of the development capability and the cover of thrust level gap from 10t to 100t LOX+LCH4 LRE for LandSpace.

TQ-12 engine is the third model of high thrust level liquid oxygen and liquid methane rocket engine in the world, following another 2 models of LOX+LCH4 engines, the US SpaceX’s Raptor engine and the Blue-origin’s BE-4 engine.

As the first private company in China that has completed the full system hot firing for 80t-thrust-level LOX+LCH4 LRE, LandSpace is the third company in the world to master the key technology of high thrust level LRE. In addition, the full system hot firing for 80t-thrust -level LOX+LCH4 LRE not only indicates the breakthroughs in key technology fields for LandSpace, but also plays the role for the powerful supplement to Chinese space industry and contribution for the Chinese capability access to Space in real action, announced by LandSpace’s CEO, Roger Zhang.

China's liquid oxygen-methane rocket engine completes key test
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-23 17:04:27|Editor: xuxin

HANGZHOU, July 23 (Xinhua) -- China's 80-tonne thrust liquid oxygen-methane engine has completed a full-thrust run test with a duration of 100 seconds, the developer said Tuesday.

The engine, named TQ-12, was independently developed by the private rocket company LandSpace and has the third-highest thrust level among liquid oxygen-methane engines globally.

The test shows that key technical parameters have reached the design requirements and further verified the product's quality and structural reliability, said Ge Minghe, general manager of the R&D department of LandSpace.

The engine will conduct further tests including a test under extreme working conditions and a long-run test, according to the company's plan.

The Chinese government encourages the participation of private enterprises in the space industry. The country had more than 60 private companies in the commercial space industry as of December 2018.

 

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China to launch first rocket for commercial missions in 1st half of 2019
CGTN
Published on Dec 29, 2018

China will launch the first rocket for commercial missions in the first half of 2019, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The rocket, Jielong (Smart Dragon) No.-1 Solid Propellant Launch Vehicle, will take on China's first commercial mission. China plans to develop two types of rockets for commercial purposes – the Jielong series and the Tenglong series, according to Tang Yagang, president of Chinarocket Co. Ltd. under the CASC.

From ChinaRocket, Jielong-1 is being delivered to Jiuquan launch center at 24 July 04:00. Set to launch in August.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1151035469897043970

LaunchStuff@LaunchStuff

Hyperbola-1 was transported to Jiuquan for launch on July 6th. No info on launch date.

Info was released by Changan Automobile as this launch will be yet another car manufacturer/rocket manufacturer collab like the maiden Long March 11H was.

https://www.weibo.com/tv/v/HD9JFow8i?fid=1034:4393322114942675 …

航空航天港9ifly
今天 09:39 来自 iPhone客户端
#发射消息# 2019年7月25日约13:00，国内民营航天公司星际荣耀双曲线一号火箭将自酒泉进行首次发射任务，这也是国内第三家尝试进行入轨发射，预祝发射成功！
SQX-1 Y1运载火箭全长21米，最大直径1.4米，起飞重量31吨，500公里SSO轨道运载能力为260KG。本次发射携带了航天科工空间工程发展有限公司和北京理工大学的两颗卫星，搭载了央视未来新星验证载荷、西瓜创客载荷及星时代-6载荷等三个末子级载荷，以及两个商业配重。以上卫星及载荷将被送入300公里的近地圆轨道。

9ifly.cn
Today 09:39

#发射消息# At about 13:00 on July 25, 2019, the domestic private space company i-Space Hyperbolic No. 1 rocket will carry out its first launch mission from Jiuquan. This is also the third attempt by China private company for an orbital launch.

The SQX-1 Y1(Hyperbolic-1) launch vehicle has a total length of 21 meters, a maximum diameter of 1.4 meters, a take-off weight of 31 tons, and a 500-kilometer SSO orbit carrying capacity of 260KG. The launch carried two satellites from CASIC Space Engineering Development Co., Ltd. and Beijing Institute of Technology. Also on-board are three final-stage piggyback load for CCTV's future star test load, Xigua Creater and Xing Shidai-6, and two payload for commercial advertisement. The above satellites and payloads will be sent to the 300-kilometer low-earth orbit.

 

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Liftoff successful!

林晓弈
16分钟前 来自 微博 weibo.com
成功啦，航天爱好者网 祝贺@星际荣耀空间科技 。//@林晓弈: 即将到来的发布会现场。 @林晓弈: 四级分离 估计要入轨了

。//@林晓弈: 整流罩分离成功。//@林晓弈: 跟踪飞行正常。//@林晓弈: 三四级分离正常。//@林晓弈: 二三级分离正常。

Report from social media claim the launch to be successful.

First orbital launch by a private company in China!

Congratulation to iSpace!!

中国民营运载火箭零的突破 星际荣耀一箭多星成功入轨
星际荣耀 北京星际荣耀空间科技有限公司 Today

北京时间2019年7月25日13时00分，北京星际荣耀空间科技有限公司（下称“星际荣耀”）的双曲线一号遥一长安欧尚号运载火箭（下称“SQX-1 Y1”）在中国酒泉卫星发射中心成功发射，按飞行时序将多颗卫星及有效载荷精确送入预定300公里圆轨道，发射任务取得圆满成功，实现了中国民营运载火箭零的突破。

...
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eB8LnJ83Ola5OdnJDaM-Ig​

Translation:
China's private carrier rocket breakthrough iSpace one rocket and many satellite successfully into orbit
Source: iSpace Technology Co., Ltd.

At 13:00 on July 25, 2019, Beijing time, Beijing iSpace Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as iSpace)'s hyperbola No. 1 Y1 carrier rocket (hereinafter referred to as "SQX-1 Y1") Successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, the satellites and payloads were accurately delivered to the scheduled 300-kilometer orbit according to the flight schedule. The launch mission was a complete success, achieving a breakthrough for Chinese private launch vehicle.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154265753899667456

 

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Private firm makes history with successful orbital mission
By Zhao Lei in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-07-25 13:33
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201907/25/WS5d393f43a310d83056400f5a_2.html

The SQX-1 Y1 solid-propellant carrier rocket blasts off from a launchpad located in rocky terrain at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, July 25, 2019. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A private Chinese company used its own carrier rocket to send two satellites and several experimental payloads into space on Thursday, marking the first successful orbital mission by the country's commercial space industry.

The SQX-1 Y1 solid-propellant carrier rocket, the first in the SQX-1 series, blasted off at 1:00 pm from a launchpad located in rocky terrain at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.

Nearly 15 minutes after the ignition, the 25-meter-tall rocket successfully deployed two satellites — one from the State-owned defense conglomerate, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, and the other from the Beijing Institute of Technology — into a low-Earth orbit about 300 kilometers above the ground.

The SQX-1 Y1 solid-propellant carrier rocket blasts off from a launchpad located in rocky terrain at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, July 25, 2019. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Carrying the high hopes of China's private space sector, the mission's success is considered a landmark achievement by industry observers. It demonstrated that after previous failed attempts, a private company in China is now capable of conducting an orbital launch, a requirement for any serious newcomer in the space industry.

Developed and produced by i-Space, a Beijing-based space startup founded by a group of Chinese rocket researchers previously working for State-owned enterprises, the three-stage SQX-1 is mainly propelled by solid fuel. It has a liftoff weight of 42 metric tons and a diameter of 1.4 m.

The rocket's launch capacity allows it to transport satellites with a total weight of 500 kilograms into a sun-synchronous orbit 500 km above the Earth, according to the company.

The SQX-1 Y1 solid-propellant carrier rocket blasts off from a launchpad located in rocky terrain at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, July 25, 2019. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Designers at i-Space described the SQX-1 as the most powerful carrier rocket ever built by a private company in China.

Private companies are eager to seize business opportunities in the nation's burgeoning commercial space launch market.

Leading private rocket-makers in China, i-Space, LandSpace and OneSpace, all based in Beijing, have been sparing no effort to develop their own carrier rockets. Currently, those are mainly made by major State-owned space enterprises. Carrier rockets are in short supply because of surging demand for launch services from the country's flourishing satellite industry.

The SQX-1 Y1 solid-propellant carrier rocket blasts off from a launchpad located in rocky terrain at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, July 25, 2019. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Executives at the private companies are aware that becoming the first to launch a carrier rocket into orbit would win not only plaudits but also lucrative contracts.

Two previous attempts at orbital launches by LandSpace and One-Space failed.

Yao Bowen, spokesman for i-Space, said Thursday's launch indicated that his company was now ready to become involved in the commercial launch business.

He said i-Space will carry out five SQX-1 launches for clients before the end of 2020, adding the company's second type of carrier rocket — the SQX-2 reusable liquid-propellant rocket — is under development and scheduled to make its maiden launch in 2021.

By the end of last year, 123 private enterprises on the Chinese mainland had registered in the space industry, with 14 of them focused on rocket development and production, according to a market report published recently by FutureAerospace, a space industry consultancy in Beijing.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1154628728665673728

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1092393975422615552

https://twitter.com/x/status/1155484395576483840

 

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Scientists discover highest energy cosmic gamma rays in Tibet
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-03 16:57:55|Editor: Li Xia

Photo taken on May, 2013 shows the ASgamma Experiment in Yangbajain, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. A joint research team made up of Chinese and Japanese scientists has discovered the highest energy cosmic gamma rays ever observed from an observatory in Tibet, opening a new window to explore the extreme universe. (The Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A joint research team made up of Chinese and Japanese scientists has discovered the highest energy cosmic gamma rays ever observed from an observatory in Tibet, opening a new window to explore the extreme universe.

The energy of the gamma rays is as high as 450 TeV, equivalent to 45 billion times of the energy of X-rays for medical diagnosis, researchers from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Scientists believe that those energetic gamma rays were from the Crab Nebula, a famous supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus, about 6,500 light years away from Earth.

Previously, the highest energy ever observed for a gamma-ray photon was 75 TeV, which was detected by the HEGRA Cherenkov telescope in Germany.

"Before this discovery, many scientists believed that photons could not be accelerated to energy higher than 100 TeV," said Huang Jing, a researcher from IHEP, and the co-spokesperson for the experiment.

"The discovery is a milestone in the search for the origin of the mysterious cosmic rays," said Professor Chen Yang, an expert of supernova remnants from Nanjing University.

Scientists hypothesize the following steps for generating very-high-energy gamma rays: first, the electrons are accelerated up to PeV (one thousand trillion electron volts) in the nebula; then the PeV electrons interact with the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), the remnant radiation from the Big Bang filling the whole universe; and then a CMBR photon is kicked up to 450 TeV by a PeV electron.

The researchers thus conclude that the Crab Nebula is the most powerful natural electron accelerator known in our Galaxy.

The Crab Nebula was produced by a supernova explosion in the year 1054, which was recorded in official historical documents of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127).

In 1969, scientists discovered a pulsar, rotating 30 times per second, embedded in the nebula. In the modern era, the Crab Nebula has been observed at all electromagnetic wavelengths ranging from radio to very high energy gamma rays.

The observatory, located in the Yangbajing town of Tibet at an altitude of 4,300 meters, has been operated jointly by China and Japan since 1990.

The China-Japan collaboration added new underground detectors in 2014, which can suppress 99.92 percent of the cosmic-ray background noises, and thus improve the sensitivity significantly, Huang said.

During a period of about two years, a total of 24 gamma-ray photons above 100 TeV have been detected from the Crab Nebula, as a result of the innovative upgrading of the experiment, according to Huang.

"This is the very first but a great step forward. It proves that our techniques worked well, and gamma rays with energies up to a few hundred TeV really exist," Huang said.

"This pioneering work opens a new window for the exploration of the extreme universe. The detection of gamma rays above 100 TeV is a key to understanding the origin of very-high-energy cosmic rays, which has been a mystery since their discovery in 1912. With further observations using this new window, we expect to identify the origin of cosmic rays in our Galaxy," Huang said.

The discovery will be published in the journal Physical Review Letters later in July.

Viewpoint: Highest Energy Astrophysical Photons Detected
Rene A. Ong
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

July 29, 2019• Physics 12, 87

An experiment operating at high altitudes in Tibet has detected the highest energy photons ever observed from an astrophysical source, the Crab Nebula.

​

Figure 1: The Tibet ABγ experiment is located at an altitude of 4300 m in Yangbajing, China. With an array of scintillation detectors and underwater water-Cherenkov detectors covering 65,700 m2, the experiment measures the secondary particles that are produced when a high-energy photon strikes the upper atmosphere. An artist’s depiction of such an air shower is shown in the image.

Very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy gives the view of the Universe at photon energies above 100 GeV ( 1011eV). To produce photons at these high energies requires a cosmic accelerator many times more powerful than the Large Hadron Collider. Known gamma-ray sources, such as pulsars and active galactic nuclei, harbor intense electromagnetic or gravitational fields for accelerating particles that subsequently produce VHE photons. Astrophysicists have models for how this acceleration occurs, but uncertainties remain over such issues as the maximum particle energy achievable through these mechanisms. To help address these questions, researchers search for the highest energy—and rarest—gamma rays using ground-based experiments with very large collection areas. Now, for the first time, such an experiment has detected photons above 100 TeV ( 1014 eV) from an astrophysical source, namely, the Crab Nebula [1]. Not only does this detection open up a new view of the Universe, it also confirms the standard theoretical framework for particle acceleration and radiation in one of the best-studied astrophysical sources.

When a VHE particle—either gamma ray or cosmic ray—reaches us from the cosmos, it interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere to create an extensive air shower of secondary particles and photons that propagate down to the surface of the Earth (Fig. 1). By measuring these secondary products from the ground, we can gather information on the primary VHE particle [2]. One of the main motivations of studying gamma rays in this way has been to pinpoint astrophysical sites of extreme particle acceleration that could also explain the origin of cosmic rays. Some of the first projects to perform such measurements were air shower arrays, which detect the particles in the shower via a widely distributed array of detectors, typically either scintillator or water-Cherenkov detectors. By measuring the densities and arrival times of secondary particles at numerous locations on the ground, air shower arrays estimate the energy and arrival direction of the incoming primary particle, as well as determine whether it was a gamma-ray photon or a cosmic ray.

The first definitive detection of a VHE gamma-ray source, the Crab Nebula, was made by the Whipple 10m Telescope in 1989 [3]. Whipple was not an air shower array but rather an atmospheric Cherenkov telescope, which captures secondary photons (as opposed to secondary particles) using dish-shaped reflectors. Although the Whipple detection of 1-TeV photons was a landmark event, the fact that the Crab was the first source to be detected was not surprising. The Crab, the remnant of a supernova explosion observed on Earth in 1054 CE, is perhaps the most studied source in astronomy and has very luminous emission over all wavelengths. In the VHE band, the Crab’s emission is bright and steady, powered most likely by a wind of relativistic electrons blowing off the Crab Pulsar. This wind model—supported by the shape of the VHE spectrum—assumes that the electrons interact with low-energy ambient photons through inverse-Compton scattering, producing gamma-ray photons [4].

Motivated by the Whipple detection and hoping to see higher-energy photons, a collaboration of Japanese and Chinese scientists constructed the Tibet air shower experiment (Tibet ASγ) in 1990. This array, which initially consisted of 49 scintillation detectors covering an area of 11,000 m2, benefits from a high altitude of 4300 m, which allows it to detect a wider range of gamma-ray energies than the first generation of air shower arrays [5]. In 1999, Tibet ASγ made the first detection of the Crab Nebula by an air shower array [6]. The experiment has been periodically upgraded with additional scintillation detectors (now totaling around 600) and, more recently, with the installation of 24 underground water-Cherenkov detectors, which measure muons. Since gamma-ray initiated air showers are expected to have far fewer muons than those initiated by cosmic rays, the measurement of the muon content rejects the background events due to cosmic rays, focusing on those due to gamma-ray photons. Thanks to this additional equipment, the Tibet ASγ has significantly improved sensitivity at both low ( ∼1 TeV) and high ( ∼100 TeV) energies.

Over the last 30 years, the Tibet AS γ has been accompanied by atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS and by array-type experiments like the Milagro experiment. These various ground-based observatories have revolutionized our understanding of the VHE universe by discovering and characterizing close to 200 sources of TeV gamma radiation [7]. However, none of these sources was detected at 100-TeV energies.

That situation has now changed. The Tibet ASγ collaboration reports the detection of a clear gamma-ray signal from the direction of the Crab Nebula at energies above 100 TeV [1]. The calculated photon spectrum shows good agreement with previous measurements at lower energies and a smooth continuation of the inverse-Compton model to the highest energies [4]. It’s worth noting that a similar result has recently been reported at conferences by the successor to Milagro: the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory, which started regular operations in 2014. HAWC has a high-altitude (4100 m) location, large muon detectors, and improved reconstruction capabilities that—like Tibet ASγ—give it a superior performance compared to earlier air shower arrays. The HAWC Collaboration recently submitted their 100-TeV observations of the Crab for publication [8].

The work reported here represents the achievement of a long-held goal to measure 100-TeV gamma rays. Although there is nothing magic about 100 TeV, the detections by Tibet ASγ and HAWC confirm that our standard picture of particle acceleration and radiation in the Crab Nebula continues to higher energies in a smooth fashion. This, in turn, argues that the primary electrons being accelerated in the Crab approach energies of 1 PeV ( 1015 eV).

Looking toward the future, extending the Crab spectrum to increasingly higher energies would be important to ensure that no new component appears. Detection of other objects above 100 TeV can be expected although—because of absorption by intergalactic radiation fields—only sources in our Galaxy or its neighborhood are visible at these energies. Nonetheless, HAWC has shown that there are many Galactic sources in the TeV band [9], and hence future detections could shed light on the highest energy accelerators in the Milky Way, the so-called PeVatrons that are needed to explain what powers the peta-electronvolt cosmic rays that get to Earth. Similarly, if photons at these highest energies can be correlated with neutrino events detected by the IceCube experiment at the South Pole, it would provide important clues about the origin of the highest energy neutrinos.

The many recent discoveries in the field of VHE gamma-ray astronomy have motivated the development of new, more sensitive instruments to probe the 100-TeV frontier. One example is the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), which is a new air shower experiment that was recently inaugurated in Sichuan, China. Additionally, development continues on the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which will comprise two large arrays of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes at sites in Chile and Spain. There also exists significant interest in a southern hemisphere high-altitude air shower experiment [10].

This research is published in Physical Review Letters and on the arXiv.


Physics - Viewpoint: Highest Energy Astrophysical Photons Detected

First Detection of Photons with Energy beyond 100 TeV from an Astrophysical Source
M. Amenomori et al. (Tibet ASγ Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 051101 (2019)
Published July 29, 2019​

 

[JSCh]

China completes first offshore rocket launch
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-05 14:09:35|Editor: Liangyu

QINGDAO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched a rocket from a mobile launch platform in the Yellow Sea off Shandong Province on Wednesday, sending two technology experiment satellites and five commercial satellites into space.

A Long March-11 solid propellant carrier rocket blasted off at 12:06 p.m. from the mobile platform. It is China's first space launch from a sea-based platform and the 306th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

The rocket is also named "CZ-11 WEY" under an agreement between the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Space Foundation and a Chinese automobile producer.

Launching a carrier rocket from an ocean-based platform has many advantages over a land launch.

The closer to the equator a rocket launch can get, the greater the speed boost it will receive. It reduces the amount of energy required to get into space and means that less fuel is required.

The launch site is flexible and falling rocket remains pose less danger. Using civilian ships to launch rockets at sea would lower launch costs and give it a commercial edge.

The seaborne launch technology will meet the growing launch demand of low inclination satellites and help China provide launch services for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to experts.

The two satellites, developed by China Academy of Space Technology, are expected to step up all-weather monitoring of ocean wind fields and improve typhoon monitoring and accuracy of the weather forecast in China.

Among the five commercial satellites, the two satellites, developed by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, are China's first small satellite system based on Ka-band.

The Long March-11, developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is the only rocket using solid propellants among China's new generation carrier rockets. It is mainly used to carry small satellites and can take multiple satellites into orbit at the same time.

中国航天科技集团
32分钟前 来自 360安全浏览器

【“中国东方航天港”项目计划年内启动实施！推动海上发射高频化、常态化、系统化】“中国东方航天港”项目依托烟台优越的地理位置和港口条件，发挥航天、海工等工业制造基础雄厚的独特优势，打造以航天海上发射母港、火箭研发制造中心、卫星载荷研发制造中心、海上发射平台研发制造中心和卫星数据应用开发中心等“一港四中心”为主要内容，辐射带动智能制造装备、物流装备、能源装备、航天新材料、航天旅游等相关产业。

Translation:
China Aerospace Science and Technology Group
32 minutes ago from weibo

["China Eastern Space Port" project is planned to be implemented within the year! Promote high-frequency, regularized and systematized sea launch]

The "China Eastern Spaceport" project relies on Yantai's superior geographical location and port facilities to give full play to its unique advantages of having home to aerospace, offshore and other manufacturing industrial bases. The project aim to build a sea launch home port, rocket R&D and manufacturing center, satellite payload R&D and manufacturing center, sea launch platform R&D and manufacturing center, and also satellite data application development center. “One Port Four Centers” would be its main content. Additionally it would also drive the growth of other related industries such as intelligent equipment, logistics equipment, energy equipment, aerospace new materials manufacturing and space tourism.​